Microsoft is making .NET 5.0 available

Microsoft has introduced its .NET 5.0 development platform along with ASP.NET Core, EF Core, C # 9.0 and F # 5.0. Microsoft considers the release important in its efforts to merge the different .NET versions.

Microsoft has made .NET 5.0 available immediately for Windows, macOS and Linux, and for x86, x64, ARM32 and ARM64. The development platform includes support for C # 9.0 and F # 5.0. ASP.NET Core 5.0.0 is present and the release coincides with that of EF Core 5.0, or Entity Framework Core 5.0. Visual Studio users must be running version 16.8 on Windows to use .NET 5.0. MacOS requires the latest version of Visual Studio for Mac.

Microsoft calls version 5.0 the first release on the way to merging the different platforms. Version 5.0 would make it easier for developers to migrate their .NET Framework code and apps to the new version. In addition, Microsoft has made preparations to allow developers using Xamarin cross-platform software from .NET 6.0 to leverage a unified .NET platform.

That release of .NET 6.0 should take place next November. Microsoft announced .NET 5.0 in May last year, already unveiling its strategy for a unified platform for desktop, web, mobile and internet-of-things. The company said at the time that an annual upgrade cycle would be implemented starting in November this year.

Several improvements and changes have been made to .NET 5.0. In addition to support for C # 9.0 and F # 5.0, there is support for WebAssembly with the Mono runtime and .NET Libraries. The performance of the .NET Libraries, garbage collection and the jit has also been improved. Version 5.0 is the successor to .NET Core 3. A 4.0 version never appeared due to possible confusion with .NET Framework 4.